Second half goals from substitutes Nina Stapelfeldt and Sara Thrige proved crucial as AC Milan left it late to overcome resilient Lazio 3-1 at home in their Matchday 14 Serie Femminile tie on 5 February.
After emphatic back-to-back victories against Sampdoria in the Serie A and Coppa Italia respectively, in which they scored a total of eight goals and conceded one, the Rossonere had hoped for another smooth-sailing dominance over lowly-placed Lazio, whose only victory in the league so far has come against Hellas Verona – the team currently occupying the last position in the league standings just below them. The visitors were however a banana peel.
AC Milan started off on the right foot, mounting pressure on their opponents, but it was Lazio that got to celebrate first after capitalizing on a slip up to hit AC Milan on the counter attack for the first goal of the match on 7 minutes through speedy Noemi Visentin, who was a thorn in AC Milan’s side.
The Rossonere desperately wanted a quick response but found it difficult to penetrate Lazio’s defence. Even the post seemed against them. However, the equalizer eventually came in the 39th minute as new signing Martina Piemonte scored her third goal in as many games. She headed in Alia Guagni’s cross from the right and dedicated her goal to goalkeeper Noemi Fedele and striker Rimante Jonusaite who are both out due to injury. Jonusaite recently underwent surgery and is recovering.
Soon after Piemonte turned provider for Lindsey Thomas, whose goal-bound close-range shot was intercepted on the line by Nora Heroum’s leg.
After the break, AC Milan continued where they left off in the first half, but it was not until the last ten minutes that the goals came. Before then Thomas’ header went slightly over the bar and Refiloe Jane’s close-range effort went straight to Lazio goalkeeper Stephanie Ohstrom.
Valentina Bergamaschi jumped higher than the rest during a goalmouth scramble to score in the 82nd minute but the goal was ruled out by the referee.
Seven minutes later, however, Stapelfeldt converted Piemonte’s cross, three minutes after replacing Alia Guagni.
Then Thrige put the icing on the cake in the 94th minute as AC Milan bagged all three points.
Source: AIPS